Black leopard: description of the species, where it lives, behavior. Description of the leopard: where different populations live and live Mass of the leopard

A leopard is a species of carnivorous mammal of the cat group. The leopard, also called the panther or leopard, is a subfamily of big cats and is considered one of the members of the panther family. In the 20th century, the leopard was included in almost all the protection documents of countries on the planet, including the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

Appearance

A leopard is a big cat that second in size only to the lion and tiger. The leopard's body is muscular and elongated, but at the same time light and elastic. The length of the animal's tail is more than half the size of its body. The animal's legs are small, but at the same time very strong. The paws are massive and wide, and the head has a rounded shape and is not large in size. The top of the leopard's head is decorated with short, rounded ears that are spaced wide apart.

This animal has small eyes with round pupils. There is no mane, the whiskers are white or black and reach a size of 120 mm. As for how much a leopard weighs, these indicators differ depending on the geographical area of ​​residence. Animals that live in wooded areas have smaller body weight and size than their counterparts that live in open areas. Males of these cats, as a rule, exceed the size of females by a quarter. The length of an adult leopard can vary in the range of 85-200 cm. The tail can reach a length of 55-80 cm.

Leopard color features:

Habitat and distribution of leopards

There are many more places where leopards live than places where any other cat species live. Leopards are common in forest-steppe and forest areas, as well as in the mountainous and savanna areas of the African continent. This species of cat also inhabits the southern territory of Asia. Leopards once inhabited Transcaucasia, most of Africa, India and Pakistan. Their habitats also included Sri Lanka, Zanzibar and the island of Java.

Today, in many historical habitats, this species is either very rare or completely extinct. These countries include Zanzibar, Sinai Peninsula and Morocco. In other places, the range of leopards has a structure divided into separate populations located at a considerable distance from each other. If we consider the territory of Russia, then leopards can live in the Primorsky Territory. It is also possible to meet an animal in the Caucasus.

Speaking about African leopards, it should be noted that they mostly like to live in the jungles located in the central part of the continent, as well as in the highlands. These predators are also found in the semi-deserts and savannas of Morocco. Leopards are in dire need of water, so they avoid living in dry places, avoiding areas of Namibia and the Sahara.

In Asia, animals tend to live on the Amur in coniferous forests, as well as in subtropical and tropical forests, which are found on the plains and on the slopes of the mountains of India and South Asia. The habitats of leopards in Asia continue all the way to the Arabian Peninsula. These animals are not found only in the arid deserts of Asia, as well as in Borneo and Sumatra. However, archaeological finds confirm that leopards once inhabited Sumatra. Today's habitat of leopards covers parts of Afghanistan, Kashmir and the Caucasus, including the Himalayas.

Habitat of leopards in the Caucasus

In the Caucasus, the leopard population declined significantly at the end of the 20th century, becoming simply insignificant. We can confidently say that in this area these predators are on the verge of extinction. In the Caucasus, the range of leopards is located mostly in forested foothills.

The range begins in the western areas, not far from Tuapse, and covers the northern territories. Then it reaches the eastern part until the end of the Caucasus Range. As for the foothills, leopards inhabit their forests and are sometimes found in their upper sections, less often above its border. The habitat of animals at the foot of the Caucasus ridge descends all the way to the slopes of the mountains, and in Transcaucasia the habitats covered the foothills of the Lesser Caucasus, including the area between Kura and Rion.

The habitats of animals in Central Asia are represented in Western Asia - in Afghanistan and Iran. This area is conventionally divided into several parts.

• In Turkmenistan, the main part of the range is represented by Kopetdag.
• In Central Asia, the habitat is located on the right bank of the Pyanj and Amu Darya rivers.
• The Far Eastern habitat belongs to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast China. This part of the range is located in Transbaikalia, the Amur region and the Ussuri region.

Social and territorial behavior

Leopards are solitary predators that are mostly nocturnal. These animals can easily adapt to any living conditions. They can live in deserts, mountains, and forests. The territory of their individual residence may vary from 10 to 450 km. sq. - it depends on the availability of food and the terrain. The leopard's small build does not prevent it from successfully hunting large animals - their prey can sometimes reach up to 800 kg.

Leopards have the unique ability to climb trees. These animals can climb on them, both for recreation and for hunting monkeys. But mostly, leopards hunt on the ground. Usually a predator quietly and carefully approaches prey to the distance of one jump, and then pounces and strangles its victim. If the jump was unsuccessful, then the predator does not pursue the prey. In some cases, the animal may deliberately noisily approach the victim, and then hide. In this case, the victim, not understanding where to expect an attack, is confused. Often the predator lifts the remains of prey up a tree to keep them from hyenas and jackals.

As a rule, the leopard's diet consists of ungulates - roe deer, deer and antelope. Sometimes it can feed on monkeys and rodents, as well as snakes and birds. Can hunt horses and sheep. Dogs, as well as wolves and foxes, often suffer from leopards. For lack of food, an animal sometimes steals prey from its relatives. As for man, then Predators rarely attack people- to do this you need to disturb the leopard. But he will certainly attack if he is wounded - in this case the consequences will be very sad.

Leopard breeding

Typically, leopards breed year-round in the southern regions of their range. Populations located in the Far East breed most often in late autumn. The reproduction of these animals is usually accompanied by roaring and fighting on the part of the male, which is natural for cats. At other times, the leopard is rather silent, which cannot be said about the tiger or lion.

The female's pregnancy usually lasts 3 months. The result of this is the birth of 1-2 (in rare cases three) cubs. Animals most often set up shelter in rock crevices or caves. Also as a lair there may be holes, created by uprooted trees. Predators choose an area for this that is inconspicuous and quiet. Leopard cubs are ahead of tiger cubs in development - as a rule, after 2 years they are sexually mature.

Leopard hunting

This predator has always been a significant trophy for hunters. Leopards were hunted only within their habitat. Hunters have a term called the “Big Five,” which includes animals such as:

Each of the listed animals is considered for the hunter a luxurious trophy and valuable booty.

If we look at hunting for leopards in the 19th and 20th centuries, we can say that in areas of Asia and Africa this type of hunting was uncontrolled and completely disorderly. This was the main reason for the disappearance of this rare predator.

In some regions of Asia, even today there are poachers who hunt leopards, but this type of hunting is prohibited by law in the entire part of the country. Alas, the demand for valuable and beautiful skins of these animals is still high on the black market, and the organs of these predators are often used in folk medical recipes. Many states on the African continent provide a certain quota for hunting leopards - this is explained by their large numbers in these territories. If you are interested in knowing how much a leopard skin costs, then the price for a skin can reach up to $15,000.

The classic scheme for hunting this animal involves using as bait a carcass that is of interest to the leopard (usually a roe deer or a monkey). For this purpose, only fresh carcasses are used, since any type of cat does not recognize the rotten smell.

As a rule, poachers pick up lonely places where predators often come. The bait carcass is attached to the bottom of the tree so that it is clearly visible against the sky. The animal comes to the scent of the victim already at nightfall, emitting a peculiar roar. This roar is similar to a cough or the sound of a saw - the hunter will not confuse it with anything. After the hunter needs to act quickly- the shot occurs at close range. If the animal is wounded, it is very aggressive and dangerous to the hunter, trying to attack instead of running away. Often a leopard only pretends to be killed - you just have to approach, and the animal rushes at the hunter.

At the end of the 19th century, the fashion for leopard skins reached its peak, making this predator its prey. Many stars at that time loved to show off in leopard skin jackets, and also took photos for magazine covers in this look. All this has significantly reduced the population of leopards on the planet. Over the seven years of the 50s, the European fur market was replenished with more than 300,000 leopard skins.

The leopard is one of the most common wild cats on the planet. Today, there are 9 subspecies living in the wild, which is more than other feline species. At the same time, only one subspecies is in relatively no danger so far - the African one. All the rest are more or less at risk, and some are already on the verge of extinction.

Leopards can be found from South Africa to our Far East. If in East Africa it is quite easy to meet a leopard, then on the Arabian Peninsula, in Asia and in our Far East this is hardly possible.

So, below I present to your attention all representatives of the species.

African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus)

Let's start with the most common one. The ancestor of the leopard came to Africa from Asia, but it arose and developed into the modern leopard on the black continent about 500-800 thousand years ago. Later (about 300,000 years ago) it spread to Asia.

The size and weight of leopards depend on the geographic area of ​​their habitat and vary greatly. Individuals inhabiting forests are usually smaller and lighter, while those living in open areas are, on the contrary, larger than their forest counterparts.

The leopard is an excellent climber in trees, often settling there for a daytime rest or in ambush, and sometimes even catching monkeys in trees. However, the leopard mainly hunts on the ground. It sneaks up on prey within a jumping distance. Jumps on prey and strangles it.

In Africa, it lives both in the humid jungles of the central regions of the continent, and in the mountains, savannas and semi-deserts. The leopard avoids large deserts and arid areas without water and is therefore absent from the Sahara and the driest regions of Namibia.

Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)

This is the second largest subspecies. Today, according to rough estimates, there are about 11,000 individuals.

This is a large cat the size of the African subspecies. It differs from it in a more contrasting fur color, the general background of the fur is darker. The muzzle is wide, the ears are short.

Found in dry deciduous forests, tropical forests, and northern coniferous forests. In the mountains they rise to heights of up to 2,500 meters above sea level.

In the 1920s in Northern India, in the Rudraprayag district, a leopard killed 125 people in 8 years.

Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr)

This is an almost extinct subspecies. The last count was carried out more than 10 years ago and showed that there are no more than 200 individuals left in the wild, plus about 50 live in zoos.

It is the smallest subspecies of leopard. The weight of males is up to 30 kg, females - only up to 20 kg. This does not prevent the leopard from being a strong predator and hunting medium-sized prey: gazelles, Nubian ibex, for example.

Previously, it was widespread throughout the Middle East. Now the range has been greatly reduced, and in many regions it is on the verge of extinction.

Central Asian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica)

The largest of the leopards. It is also called “Caucasian” or “Persian”. One of two subspecies living in Russia. However, it was introduced into Russia artificially. Now scientists are trying to restore the population, which disappeared in the middle of the last century. This subspecies mainly lives in Iran, where there are about 800 individuals.

There are light and dark color types of this leopard.

In July 2016, three Central Asian leopards were released into a specially selected territory of the Caucasus Biosphere Reserve; they were raised and trained to live in the wild by specialists from the Reintroduction Center in Sochi. As scientists explained, the animals will become the founders of a new population of a species that was once practically extinct in the Russian Federation.

This is a truly significant historical event; for the first time in more than half a century, the Central Asian leopard has actually returned to the Caucasus.

Let us recall that the Sochi Center for Breeding and Rehabilitation of the Central Asian Leopard was opened in 2009 on the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation. To restore the population of animals included in the Red Book, five leopards were brought here from Iran and Portugal. All of them were born in the Sochi Center, built back in 2009. Here the predators underwent special training for independent life.

North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis)

From the name it is clear that the habitat of this subspecies is northern China, where about 1000-1200 individuals live.

The leopard's spots are more reminiscent of the jaguar's, and its fur is one of the longest of all leopard subspecies.

Far Eastern leopard (Panther pardus orientalis)

This the rarest subspecies of leopard. There are about 50-60 individuals left in the wild. The main part lives in Russia in the Land of the Leopard Nature Reserve.

In size, it is average among leopards and is the northernmost subspecies of leopard. Due to this, it has the longest and thickest fur of all subspecies.

The rarest, most elusive and mysterious predator on the planet. Its numbers are so small that the likelihood of encountering it in the wild can be equated to the chance of encountering Bigfoot or space aliens.

Indochinese leopard (Panther pardus delacouri)

This is a subspecies found in southern China. Last year, scientists calculated their approximate number and found that there were no more than 1,000 individuals left.

Javan leopard (Panther pardus melas)

It lives on the Indonesian island of Java and is on the verge of extinction. Today the population does not exceed 250 adult individuals.

The species is able to thrive in various ecological niches from mountainous areas to tropical forests, which was recorded by scientists in the 1990s. The species is threatened by a reduction in food supply and habitat due to deforestation and agricultural use of new lands, as well as conflicts with local residents. Java is one of the world's most populous islands, home to 59% of Indonesia's population and a population density higher than that of other island nations. 90% of the vegetation on Java has already been destroyed, and primary forests are preserved only in mountainous areas, so there is less and less space for leopards on the island.

Ceylon leopard (Panther pardus kotiya)

Lives only on the island of Sri Lanka. Presumably there are no more than 800 individuals left.

Let's once again appreciate the beauty and grace of the living nature of our planet. Which cats have we already looked at:

Many photos are clickable up to 1920 px - take it to your table.

Leopard(Panthera pardus), a mammal of the cat family. Full classification: subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammals, or Beasts (Mammalia), subclass Real Beasts (Theria), order Carnivora, family Felidae, subfamily Felinae, genus Big cats (Pantera). In our country it is known as the leopard.

A very beautiful cat with an elongated, flexible, slender and at the same time strong body (91-180 cm), a rounded head, a long tail (75-110 cm), slender, strong legs. Body weight is usually 32-40 kg, occasionally up to 100 kg.
The color is yellow, with one shade or another. Scattered across a yellow background with one shade or another (on the body, tail, legs) are clearly defined solid and ring-shaped black spots. The fur of a leopard from tropical countries is thick, but not fluffy, and very brightly colored. African leopards have small spots, while Asian leopards have larger spots. The color of the Central Asian is sandy-grayish, the Far Eastern is reddish-yellow. The Far Eastern animal has fluffy, thicker, rather dull fur in winter. Very bright, rich tones in the coloring of leopards in dense tropical forests.

Leopards do not like water and rain: they hide if it rains. They bury their droppings like cats. They know how to sleep on a tree, hiding in the branches. Excellent hearing and vision. Sense of smell is weak. Will be born, but very rarely albino leopards and the so-called flaviists: for these, it’s as if nature didn’t have enough black paint - the spots are faded, ocher, at best chocolate. Forest leopards the largest of its kind. And the smallest one - Somali leopard.

The leopard lives over a vast territory that is larger than that of any other member of the cat family. It inhabits most of Africa (except the Sahara), the southern half of Asia, and Southeast Europe. Until recently, the leopard was found in the Caucasus, but now it occasionally appears only in Transcaucasia, sometimes in Central Asia, and more often in the southern part of Primorye.

The leopard's habitat is dense tropical, subtropical and mixed forests of the Manchurian type, mountain slopes, plains, savannas, and thickets along river banks. It happens that the predator lives near populated areas, stays alone and hunts at night. The leopard climbs trees well, often resting there for the day or in ambush, and sometimes even catches monkeys in trees or hides prey from other predators. However, the main hunting area is land. While inferior in strength to a tiger or lion, a leopard surpasses them in the ability to silently and deftly sneak up on its prey.

This is a very cunning cat. A leopard can lie in the sun for hours, pretending to be dead, writhing, moaning and pretending to be dying, thereby luring inexperienced, curious deer or camels. If a leopard hunts from an ambush, it makes a huge leap (the height of the jump can reach 5.5 m), falling on the victim’s back, biting it in the scruff of the neck and knocking it to the ground. The main prey of leopards are small antelopes, deer, roe deer and other ungulates, but in difficult times it can hunt rodents, monkeys, birds, and does not disdain reptiles and insects. Among leopards there are also cannibals, which are superior to man-eating tigers in their boldness of attack. In India, one leopard killed 125 people in eight years. Another killed 400 people in 77 mountain villages and terrorized the locals at night until he was shot dead.

Leopards are usually nocturnal. They usually hunt alone. In the southern regions, leopards breed all year round. In the Far East, mating occurs in January. Like other cats, leopards start fights at this time, accompanied by loud roars from the males, although in normal times the leopard is silent. Pregnancy lasts 3 months, 1-3 cubs appear. They are born blind and helpless. But very soon they begin to see the light and begin their first forays for frogs and little birds. By the time they learn to hunt, their vision becomes so acute that they can see prey 1.5 km away. Young leopards reach full growth and sexual maturity after two years, with females somewhat earlier than males.

In the Chitavan National Park in Nepal, a female tiger, accompanied by two six-month-old tiger cubs, and a female leopard, who gave birth to kittens after tagging, were radio-collared. Radio tracking of these two predators was carried out from December to April. Both females stayed in the same area of ​​riverine forest with tall grass vegetation. The individual home range of a tigress was 9.3 km 2 , and that of a female leopard was 8 km 2 . The areas completely overlapped, but the females avoided meetings, although the distance between them was sometimes from 100 to 500 m. These ecologically close predators were allowed to avoid each other by the fact that the tigress stuck to areas with dense woody vegetation, and the female leopard - more open spaces covered with forbs . At the same time, the tiger, except at night, was active in the cooler morning hours, the leopard - in the early evening.

The number of leopards is small everywhere, so it is included in the IUCN Red List. Recently, the leopard has been one of the favorite trophies of hunters due to its skin being highly prized in the fur market.

Amur leopard(Pantera pardus orientalis) is found in the Far East; by 1973, its number was only 20-25 individuals permanently living there, and 18-21 coming from China and Korea. This subspecies is so rare that few zoos in the world are honored to have it in their collection. According to the latest data, only 30 individuals of the Amur ( Far Eastern) leopard. Since December 2002, a fundraising campaign began to carry out work to preserve this subspecies of leopards. A computer game will be released, by playing which you will be able to establish the desired survival strategy for the Amur leopard. It is assumed that one of the winning strategies will be taken as the basis for the real restoration of the subspecies.

The harsh conditions of the region with cold, snowy winters and a limited food supply did not previously allow the Amur leopard to have a more or less significant population, and in recent decades, active human economic activity has been steadily pushing it out of its original habitats and has brought it to a very dangerous brink... Remaining places The habitats of this elegant, graceful cat are annually subjected to the largely destructive effects of forest fires, the breed dies and the food supply is undermined. Poaching of not only the main food items of leopards - roe deer, sika deer, raccoon dog, badger, hare - but also the leopard itself has not been stopped. And it’s not difficult to get it: almost any pack of dogs can drive not only a young, but also an adult animal up a tree, and when hungry, it will follow any bait and end up in traps. This is what poachers take advantage of.

The only reserve where the Far Eastern leopard breeds is Kedrovaya Pad, but it is so small - about 18 thousand hectares - that it does not play a significant role in the conservation of this wonderful cat - only one male lives here permanently, and breeds, as a rule, no more two females. Almost every year the reserve “releases” from two to four young leopards outside its boundaries, but the surroundings of the reserve are so developed by humans and unsuitable for the animals to live that they are doomed to death from a poacher’s bullet or from starvation. The last refuge of the leopard in the Ussuri region remains small an area of ​​southwestern Primorye with a length of about 200 kilometers from the Razdolnaya River to Posiet Bay. But even here it remains only in a narrow, poorly developed mountainous strip of coniferous-deciduous and deciduous forests along the border with China.

Central Asian leopard(Pantera pardus ciscaucasica) has a population of no more than 10 individuals in the Caucasus (or maybe it no longer exists at all), and in the Kopetdag - 10. The Persian leopard lives in Armenia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Now about two thousand individuals live in the wild, and 174 live in 72 zoos around the world. In the summer of 2007, three Persian leopard kittens were born at the Budapest Zoo: 2 females and a male.

Even in the last century, the Central Asian leopard could be found in all mountainous regions of Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan, southwestern Tajikistan, as well as in Iran, Turkey and some areas of the Caucasus. At that time, the leopard’s range was several million hectares; now it has decreased to 600-800 thousand hectares. In some areas the leopard has completely disappeared, in others its numbers are very low. Even in those areas where the leopard still lives - in the Kopetdag mountains in Turkmenistan - it faces the problem of a lack of food resources - wild ungulates, which forces it to hunt domestic animals and thus come into conflict with the local population.

Until 1940-1950, when the number of leopards fell sharply, its population in Western Kopetdag was relatively stable. By the beginning of the 1990s. the population has declined significantly following the decline in the populations of animals that serve as its main food sources - argali, bezoar goat and wild boar. There is a real threat of the population disintegrating into isolated groups and even its complete disappearance, as happened with the population of the Turanian tiger.

Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), contrary to its name, has no relation to real leopards. It is distinguished by significant morphological and ecological originality and occupies an intermediate position between small and large cats. The clouded leopard's pupil is not round, like those of big cats, but ovoid. In addition, the larynx is designed like that of small cats. He is able to purr like small cats. Sometimes it is classified into a special genus (Neofelis).

The clouded leopard has a body 62-106 cm long and a tail 60-90 cm long. The weight of this predator is in the range of 16-30 kg, so it cannot be classified as a big cat, but it is the largest representative of medium-sized cats. It has an elongated, flexible body, short legs, wide paws and hard, bare calluses, suitable for climbing trees. Thick grayish or yellowish fur is decorated with an elegant pattern of wide and narrow markings in the form of circles, rosettes, ovals, the rear edges of which are more distinctly outlined than the front ones, which enhances the effectiveness of the coloring. A very beautiful black marble pattern on a bright yellow or yellow-gray background. The chest and belly are light or white with a few spots. There are dark brown or black elongated spots on the neck and back. The tail is heavy, furry, colored with non-joining black rings. The eyes are yellow.

The clouded leopard has an elongated skull, which distinguishes it from other cats. His fangs are larger than those of other cats in proportion to body size. Sometimes it is classified as a modern “saber-tooth.” It feeds on deer, cattle, goats, wild pigs, reptiles, birds and monkeys. It can hunt both day and night, tracking its game on the ground or overtaking it in a jump from a tree.

The clouded leopard's range is South Asia from Nepal, Sikkim, Southern China south to Sumatra and Kalimantan. Habitat: dense tropical forests, bushes, swamps. The clouded leopard spends most of its time in trees. It hunts mainly at night, more often on birds, but also attacks monkeys, pigs, sika deer, goats, and porcupines. Sometimes it jumps on its prey from branches hanging above the ground, but often hunts directly on the ground.

There are four species of clouded leopards in total. Their color varies from darkish yellow-brown (in the southern part of their range) to light yellow (these are found in southern China).

Pregnancy of females lasts 86-92 days. There are from 2 to 5 kittens in a litter. The cubs are born in hollows and develop relatively slowly. The clouded leopard is a rare animal; it is listed in the IUCN Red List.

In 2007, a new species of clouded leopard was identified in Sumatra and Borneo. The discovery was made by genetic scientists from the US National Cancer Institute and a group of representatives from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Until now, clouded leopards have been classified as belonging to a species found in mainland Southeast Asia. Scientists now believe that the two species diverged more than a million years ago, and have evolved separately since then.

Clouded leopard(Felis nebulosa) of Borneo is the territory's largest predator, similar in size to a small leopard. Its weight is about 20 kg, and its body length is 1.6-1.9 m, with the tail taking up almost half. The fact that the species separated was established by scientists at the National Cancer Institute in the USA using a DNA test, which showed about 40 differences between them. Another confirmation was obtained by studying the characteristics of animal fur. Leopards from Borneo and Sumatra have small "clouds" with many distinct spots in them, gray or dark fur, and double stripes along their backs.

The spots are separated from each other by thin strips of bright brown (slightly reddish) fur. The spots of mainland leopards are large. In addition, the animal is much lighter in color; the main fur color of Asian leopards is brown-yellow. Their mainland counterparts have dark spots on their skins with smaller, often faintly visible dots, their fur is lighter and its color is more reddish-brown. According to WWF, in total there are from 5 to 11 thousand leopards on the island, and, in addition, from 3 to 7 thousand animals are found in Sumatra.

Mountain leopard lives in the Alps. There are literally only a few of this subspecies in the world. On May 14, 2003, a short story was broadcast on television about the fact that one specimen of the mountain alpine leopard was acquired by the Buenos Aires Zoo. During the moments of the plot, we were able to note a short body, thick, long, fluffy, spotted fur. This is how animals living in harsh high mountain conditions should have it. I was struck by the cat’s extreme cuteness and gentleness. A species of mountain leopard found in the mountains of Africa.

In tropical countries, dark-colored leopards are sometimes found, which are called black panthers. If you look closely, you can see even darker spots on the black background. Scientists have recently established that the panther and the black leopard are the same species. Black panthers are commonly found in Java. Black individuals can be born in the same litter with normally colored cubs.

The main prey of the leopard are roe deer, small antelopes, deer, wild boars, monkeys, and hares. The average weight of prey is usually 25 - 50 kilograms, but a leopard is able to crush a horse, zebra, cow and even a gorilla. And with all this, he is not averse to eating a locust, a vole or a frog. And you can imagine - he catches and feasts on fish!

In Primorye, until the beginning of the 20th century, its favorite prey were sika deer and goral. Now these animals in the wild have become very rare, but there are a lot of deer on state fur farms. And the predator uses every opportunity to penetrate the deer farm park and indulge his soul on his favorite hunt. The leopard is a smart animal, it understands well how a visit to the deer farms can end, and yet it goes for it.

The leopard has keen hearing and sharp eyesight, and it sees well in seemingly impenetrable darkness. With its bright coloring, the supercat perfectly camouflages itself in the area. In a rare clear forest, you can walk past a motionless animal lying a few meters away and not notice it. It sneaks invisibly even in grass 30 - 40 centimeters high, as if pressing into the ground. Its color camouflages especially well in autumn or during drought, when yellow and brown leaves and withered grasses are everywhere.

On a tree, a leopard lying motionless in a fork or on a thick sunu often cannot be noticed even by an experienced and keen-sighted local hunter - so much so does the animal merge with the general background of the tree bark, flickering in the glare of the sun. Only the tail gives away the supercat: she forgets about it, and it hangs down, and when the animal gets excited, the tip of the tail moves.

Like the tiger, the leopard has an irresistible hatred of jackals, wolves, dogs and a passion for their meat.

A large hungry leopard can eat medium-sized prey in two days, but a well-fed one can eat it for almost a week. What is not eaten is hidden in reserve. In Africa and South Asia, this animal, fearing jackals, hyenas and other lovers of preying on strangers, usually drags its prey onto a rock or into the fork of a large tree and settles down here itself.

But here’s another mystery: the leopard finishes its large prey on the fourth or fifth day, when it is already smelly. He does not disdain carrion, and if another predator tastes the prey during his absence, the leopard no longer touches it. Pride? Disgust? Unknown.

Leopard - a thunderstorm of monkeys. Monkeys, chimpanzees, and all monkey relatives are terrified of not only a living predator, but even its frayed cords. What can you do: they don’t always manage to escape from his rapid throws, even in the trees. When the super cat walks through the forest, the monkeys, climbing to the tops of the trees, raise an unimaginable hubbub. Baboons - large, brave and strong monkeys - are constantly wary of the leopard: the herd maintains a perimeter defense during the transition, and during feeding and resting it is vigilantly guarded by guards.

Our distant ancestors also often died in the claws of a leopard. Maybe that’s why this beast is not afraid of people even now. Do not believe the reports often found in the scientific literature about the cowardice of the leopard. Cowardice and prudent caution are not the same thing and should not be confused. The leopard is insanely brave and at the same time careful. Pursuing prey, it sometimes comes close to populated areas, but it began to shy away from meeting modern man, without showing haste and nervousness. There have been attacks by leopards on people, but almost all of them were caused persecution i.e. attacks on a person were instigated by the person himself: Like the tiger, the leopard does not tolerate this, he is too proud and independent.

The leopard is protected throughout its range and is listed in the International Red Book; The main threat to it is associated with changes in natural habitats and a reduction in food supply. The trade in leopard skins, once a serious problem, has now faded into the background, with poaching of the animals for eastern medicine becoming a major concern. Only large reserves can guarantee the survival of the species.

The lion and the tiger are relatives of the leopard, but the closest of them in origin, appearance and way of life is the jaguar, which lives in South and Central America. He is almost the same color, with dark spots on a yellow background, only a little larger and a little stockier in build. And the habits are the same. In a word, a brother to the leopard and a supercat of the New World.

Lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar are all in the same genus panther. They are so close that they produce hybrid crosses between themselves. And if the cat family deservedly bears the laurels of the most specialized predatory animals, then the four representatives of the panther genus are nothing less than the elite of the cat family.

While inferior to the lion and tiger in size, the leopard wins in agility and swiftness of movements. He climbs trees and rocks beautifully and feels no less free there than on the ground. His reaction is instant, attacks are lightning fast, he knows no fear. And it’s not for nothing that many scientists and famous hunters consider the leopard to be the most perfect of cats - a supercat.

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So, leopard...

He is also a leopard, he is also a panther - he belongs to the cat family. Most often it can live in the Middle East, Southeast, South and West Asia, South Africa and Siberia.

Most often black leopards can be found in savannas, grasslands and meso-forests. And also the favorite places of the so-called African cats are mountain, bush and desert areas.

Environment and area

There are 9 subspecies of black leopard:

• African (panthera pardus pardus) - habitat Africa.
• Indian (panthera pardus fusca) - range India.
• North China (panthera pardus japonensis) - native to northern China.
• Ceylon (panthera pardus kotiya) - range of Sri Lanka.
• Indochinese (panthera pardus delacourii) - native to southern China and Southeast Asia.
• Javanese (panthera pardus melas) - native to the island of Java.
• South Arabian (panthera pardus nimr) - range Arabia.
• Persian (panthera pardus saxicolor) - range Central Asia.
• Far Eastern (panthera pardus orientalis) - range of the Korean Peninsula, Northeast China and the Russian Far East.

Females occupy a territory of approximately 4 square kilometers, and males - 12. That is, there are approximately 3 males per female.

Description

Compared to its long body, a leopard's legs are relatively short. They have a wide head and a massive skull with powerful jaw muscles. The head is crowned with small round ears. On the eyebrows of wild cats there are long whiskers that protect the eyes from dense vegetation, among which the predator is a big fan of moving. The color ranges from light yellow to reddish-orange depending on the animal's range. The shape of a leopard's spots depends on their habitat - in East Africa it is round, in South Africa it is square.

Predators have solid black spots on the chest, legs and face, and ring spots on the tail. Babies have a solid color - smoky gray, no spots are visible on it. The drawing of each individual is unique, like human fingerprints - never repeats. The black leopard or panther is an individual with recessive melanistic genes.

Male wild cats weigh from 30 to 65 kilograms, while females weigh from 16 to 57 kilograms. The length of the first ranges from one and a half to two and a half meters, while the second - from one and a half to two meters.

Lifespan

Under natural conditions, that is, in the wild, leopards live from 10 to 12 years. In captivity, the lifespan is much longer, averaging 21 to 23 years. Like all other living creatures, there are long-livers here too - 17 years is the record lifespan of a wild cat living in the wild and 27 years in captivity.

Unfortunately, African leopard cubs survive only 40–50% of the time.

Diet

Mostly these predators prefer to feed on ungulates: antelopes, gazelles, wild boars, deer and livestock- this is the main diet of the African leopard. They can also eat birds, rodents, arthropods, reptiles, and carrion. The weight of prey ranges from 10–40 kilograms.

Wild cats hunt by setting up an ambush - they lie in wait and pounce on their prey - in most cases, the victim does not even have time to react, because this predator sneaks silently like a cat and attacks with lightning speed. The leopard immediately bites into the neck of the victim, which causes instant paralysis in the second, then strangles her and takes her to a quiet, secluded place. The great strength of African cats allows them to hunt prey that is 10 times their weight.

Reproduction

Female leopards attract males with pheromones contained in their urine. Calling for mating, the female strolls invitingly in front of the male, periodically slapping him with her tail. Mating lasts an average of 3 seconds, but the number of matings can reach 100 times per day, with an interval of about 6 minutes.

African cats are capable of breeding all year round. The female's estrus lasts 7 days, and the gestation period is 96 days. Females usually lose their ability to reproduce at the age of 8–9 years.

Cubs at birth weigh less than 1 kilogram. The eyes of small leopards open 1 week after birth, at 2 weeks the babies already learn to walk. They begin to regularly leave the den and eat food familiar to leopards at the age of 6–8 weeks. Before this period, the mother can separate from the babies while going hunting for up to 36 hours, leaving the cubs in well-protected places. At three months of age, breastfeeding ends and the cubs switch to solid food. At 20 weeks, the cubs usually leave the den, becoming completely independent.

Behavior

• These wild cats are nocturnal predators. They communicate with their relatives using roars, growls, and purrs. Like all felines, they mark their territory with urine and claws.
• These predators are capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h, jumping to a height of more than three meters, and making jumps 6 meters long. They have excellent hearing and vision. They feel great both on land and in water.

Leopards are relatively tolerant of humans, but can attack them as easy prey if they are wounded.

A very big threat to these predators represents the person- people kill leopards for their valuable fur. Lions, tigers, hyenas and African wild dogs are very dangerous for wild cat cubs.

Leopard numbers are declining in many regions due to habitat fragmentation and loss. Leopards have a conservation status of “near vulnerable.” Even though leopards are the most common predator of all big cats, five of the nine subspecies are already listed as endangered and endangered.

Leopards belong to the cat family, a subspecies of big cats from the panther genus. This is one of the most common felines after the domestic cat. Although some of the subspecies have been practically destroyed and are listed in the International Red Book, there are quite prosperous subspecies, for example, the African leopard.

Description of the leopard

The leopard is a fairly large cat weighing from 30 to 75 kg. There are also larger individuals weighing up to 90 kg. Body length 90-180 cm without tail. Tail from 75 to 110 cm. Height at shoulders 80-90 cm.

The structure of the skull is massive, elongated, slightly low. The zygomatic arches are not widely spaced, the nasal bones taper at the back. The mouth, like most cats, has 30 teeth. Each jaw has 2 canines and 6 incisors. Leopards have a fairly long tongue and, like all cats, it is equipped with special tubercles that help separate meat from bones and wash themselves.

The leopard's body is elongated and flexible. The paws are strong and slender, with curved and very sharp claws, up to 55 mm long. The fur is thick, but not fluffy, and close-fitting. During the winter, animals living in colder climates have longer, duller coats.

Color may vary depending on. Leopards living in the northern regions of their range have bright red, yellow-gray or light yellow fur. The fur of African leopards is red-brown or yellowish.

In addition to the main color tone, the entire body of the leopard is covered with small black or brownish spots. Each leopard has an individual pattern and arrangement of spots. The spots can be either circular or solid. Asian leopards have larger spots, while African leopards have smaller spots. Among leopards there are melanists, which are often called black panthers. Although the skin of a black leopard is not completely black, spots always appear on it, as if a pattern. Most melanistic leopards live on the island of Java and the Malay Peninsula, but are also found to a lesser extent in India and Africa. Black individuals are often born in the same litter with spotted-colored cubs.

Lifestyle of leopards

Leopards lead a solitary lifestyle. Their typical day: sleep, hunting and leisurely walks around their property. mainly at night. Females who have kittens can go hunting at any time of the day.

Thanks to its soft pads, the leopard is able to sneak up on its prey so quietly that not a single leaf rustles, not a single branch crunches. As a rule, it hunts medium-sized animals, which it overtakes with a powerful jump (up to 5-6 m).

Leopards adapt well to living in any terrain, be it mountains, tropical forests, plains, savannas or semi-deserts. The territory of one leopard can range from 10 to 400 km². Females and males may have the same territorial areas, but if a representative of the same sex enters the territory, a fierce fight inevitably breaks out between the rivals, sometimes with a fatal outcome.

Leopard breeding

Leopards do not have a specific breeding season; mating can occur at any time of the year. The female's pregnancy lasts from 93 to 103 days, then babies are born. Leopard cubs are born blind and only after 8-10 days do they open their eyes. Most often, 1-2 babies are born in one litter, less often 3. Of the entire litter, only one kitten often survives.

The cubs spend the first three months in the den, and then leave it with their mother. From time to time, the mother changes the shelter of her kittens so that they are not discovered by predators. Leaving them in the next shelter, the mother goes hunting. Only after six months can kittens follow their mother everywhere. The mother raises her offspring for about two years. Young leopards at this age leave their nurse and become independent.

Young animals reach sexual maturity at approximately 2.5 years.

Population status and protection of leopards

Five subspecies of leopards are critically endangered. The main reason for the decline in the leopard population is changes in the natural habitat, reduction in food resources, and poaching.

The number of Far Eastern leopards as of 2007 was about 34 individuals. By the beginning of 2015, there were already approximately 57 of them.

Also, some of the subspecies are listed in the IUCN Red Book and the Red Book of Russia.